Directions

Bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; add barley. Cover saucepan and simmer barley until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add squash, onion and red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are browned and almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in apple, garlic, thyme, black pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until apple is almost tender, about 2 minutes; stir in broth, scraping bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Stir in cooked barley; toss over low heat to mix and coat. Remove from heat and serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving. NotesButternut squash doesn't need to be a labor-intensive ingredient. Save time by buying it peeled, seeded and cubed at your grocery store.

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Member Ratings For This Recipe

Finally, a main vegetarian warm dish. I served it with plain brown rice to cut the sweetness of apples & onions since I'm a diabetic, omitted the salt & pepper and added more thyme. I also baked it in the oven with breadcrumbs on top, just to blend the flavours a bit...Will definitely make more....
- 10/13/09

The flavor is yummy! I didn't have red pepper :( and I only had beef broth on hand- but the taste was delicious! I like the subtle flavors combos you get with each bite. The only suggestion I would make is to cook the barley less so that it doesn't mush when you stir it all up.
- 9/10/10

Didn't have plain garlic, just garlic w/ginger. Used twice the amount & a lots of black pepper. Was spicy-sweet and uber-yummy! The squash I peeled made about 4 cups, so I doubled the recipe. Had to use 2+ cups of cooked barley. Also, I added 1/4 c white wine! Definitely deserves an encore!
- 1/25/11